Defragmenting computer
By dhawanbm
@dhawanbm (3705)
India
December 12, 2011 8:59pm CST
Defragmenting computer is one thing i dont like. Some times it is infection of say viral invasion from the net which prompts me to do so. But at times when i use my pen drive at some unknown place, it offers some cumbersome virus to deal with, so it needs to be defragmented, But its so tiring and boring activity, needs to reinstall every thing??
5 responses
@LaDeBoheme (2004)
• United States
13 Dec 11
Defragging does not remove viruses, infections, or malware nor does it reinstall anything. In layman's terms, its purpose is to find all the fragmented files that have become scattered throughout your system and put them together, so your computer, when called upon to open a program or run a process, doesn't have to waste time searching for all the necessary files it needs.
Defragging can take a long time if you haven't done it for awhile, but no big deal. Run it overnight or when you're away from the computer.
Now if you're willingly using your pen drive at some unknown place and infecting your computer, that's a whole different issue that defragging is not going to help. I hope you have a good AV.
@LaDeBoheme (2004)
• United States
13 Dec 11
I am not sure I am understanding correctly. You think instead of defragging (which is a part of regular maintenance for Windows - like cleaning house) that formatting your HD and reinstalling Windows is better?
I am not a big supporter of formatting because I would lose any files and programs by restoring my system to its original state. I DO like Windows 7 back-up utility (much better than XP) which restores my system AND personal files and programs, but I would only use in case of a total crash.
But to each his own, if formatting is the way you prefer and don't regularly scan your system for malware, do it.
@gjabaigar (2200)
• Philippines
13 Dec 11
Any malicious files, spywares, spamwares, trojans and other like stuffs can not be removed thru Defragmentations. Defragmentations is only to optimize or hierarchal prioritized the file system of storage devices such as pen drives or hard disk drives. To make files easily to be process.
Well let's hope the in coming Windows 8, Microsoft have upgrade the obsolete File System structures of Windows' Operating System. Windows' file system technological structures are still on 90's including the famous Windows' "Registry Editor" or "regedit.exe". Which is easy to corrupt the whole system files and operations. We don't need really the Defragmentation as our routine for system maintenance. It is not the fault of the Hard Disk Drives why we Defragment but because how the File System of the Operating System specifically the MS Windows have been designed.
Other Operating Systems like Linux (Ubuntu, Red Hat, Suse) or Unix (Mac OS X, FreeBSD) doesn't need anymore to be Defragment. Meaning they are more improved or advanced than MS Windows. This is thru advancement and stability of File Indexing or Tagging or file automatic optimizations functionality of the File Systems. Though there are available different kinds of Defragmentations applications thru third parties application developers but it is not required or not largely used by the users of either Linux or Unix.
@gjabaigar (2200)
• Philippines
14 Dec 11
I'm a mac user, though there are McAfee and Norton antivirus available for macs but it is not really necessary to have. I've tried previously installing Norton Antivirus but I think its really useless so I remove after using it for a long time. The Mac OS actually has already have built-in security functionality from any kind of intrusions (such as trojans, spywares, malwares, worms, etc.) of processes in the system that can get from different webpages in the internet.
Every time when there's security threat issues arises, Apple, Inc. monitors and detects such issues to address for immediate solutions, and then informs and notify all mac users to download security updates.
@wadabski (761)
• Philippines
13 Dec 11
You need to do it though for may be let's say once every week or a month. So that your computer will go faster and might as well download the cc cleaner program so that it can delete your cookies and internet rubbish and all that. Get a good original antivirus so that you will be protected.
@luckygrey67 (765)
• Indonesia
13 Dec 11
yeah very boring activity, I don't like it too. I prefer to reinstall the hard disk than doing defragmenting. May be it useful to re shape of hard disk, but it take time so long. What you prefer to do ?
